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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · pass · pit · rash · mine · pop · last · bear

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. last — finally
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. content — the amount
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rash — a series
  16. content — happy
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com